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Online Casino War

Casino War is likely the simplest card game you’ll find at online casino sites. You draw a card, the dealer draws a card and whoever’s card is higher wins the bet. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. This game has a surprisingly reasonable house advantage of just 2.88%. Most simple gambling games subject you to a much higher house advantage.

Casino War was the first game many of us learned to play at the kitchen table as children. Take that same game, in an online casino, and you have the all-grown-up version of this classic betting game.

Besides, sometimes it’s nice just to sit back, relax and gamble it up without racking your brain. If you’re in the mood for something simple and relatively low-risk, I’d like to recommend the following list of gambling sites that host real money Casino War. Each of the following casino War sites is a safe and reputable place to play.

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    William Hill Casino
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    BetVictor Casino
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    100% up to £100 instant Welcome Bonus
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    888 Casino
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Are War Casino Sites Safe?

Yes. I’m a firm believer in security standards for anything that involves real money and the internet. Whether it be online gambling, online banking or making a purchase on eBay, I always make sure the site I’m about to do business with is indeed a legitimate operation.

There are three things in particular that indicate a Casino War site is legit:

  • It is run by an established operator – someone who has been in business for 5 or more years
  • It is capable of processing deposits and withdrawals in a timely manner
  • It is randomly audited for fairness by a third party testing agency

With so many people connected to the internet these days, word spreads quickly if a site employs deceptive practices or takes too long to pay winners. The bigger casino sites have been reviewed by hundreds of review websites and are the subject of countless threads on public discussion boards. You can find out everything you need to know using the power of search.

How do I know I’ll get a fair game?

This is one of the most common questions I receive regarding online gambling. Figuring out which online Casino War sites are safe is the same as figuring out whether any other online business is safe. It’s a matter of asking around, doing research and sticking with the bigger names in the industry.

For an extreme example, think about Amazon.com and eBay. Those are two of the most respected names in eCommerce. How did they get to that point? By delivering on their promises week after week and year after year. Eventually word gets out. The same concept holds true in online gambling. Some names are just known for being safe places to play real money games online.

War Casino Bonuses

All online casino sites offer welcome bonuses to new customers. The basic idea is that in return for signing up and making a deposit, the site adds extra funds to your first deposit. The only problem is that Casino War is not compatible with most deposit bonuses.

If you read through the terms of any casino bonus, you’ll see a requirement that says you need to place X number of wagers before you can cash out the bonus money. In most cases, only wagers in certain games count towards meeting that requirement. Casino War is often named as one of those games that cannot be played to release the bonus.

The problem gambling sites have with Casino War is that it has too low a house advantage. It is all too easy for people to sign up, claim a quick bonus, clear it with Casino War and then cash out a bunch of free bonus money. Casinos want you to play games like slots and keno to help offset the cost of that bonus money.

Occasionally you’ll find a bonus that does work with Casino War. These bonuses are worth jumping on because they aren’t offered often. In most cases, you’ll just have to play the game without the advantage of a juicy signup bonus.

How to Play Casino War

Casino War is so simple that you could conceivably jump in right away and learn it as you go. However, it’s best to understand the basics just to make sure you go in with the benefit knowing all the ins and outs.

Most online Casino War games are played with six decks of 52 cards. Each round begins with you placing a wager. After you place your wager, the dealer draws one card from the top of the deck and deals it to you face up. The dealer then draws a second card from the deck and deals that one to himself.

Your card is compared to the dealer’s card and whoever has the highest-ranked card wins the round. If your card is higher, you win an even-money payout on your wager. If the dealer’s card outranks your card, you lose the bet.

In the event of a tie, you are given the option to either fold or go to war. If you choose to fold, half your wager is forfeited and half is returned to you.

If you choose to go to war, you must place a second wager equal in size to your original wager. The dealer then deals you one card and takes one card for himself. If you win, your original wager is paid even money and your second wager is returned to you without any winnings. If you lose, both wagers are lost.

If you tie yet again after going to war, the tie goes to you. You are paid even money on your original wager and the second wager is given back to you without any winnings.

The House Advantage

The house advantage in Casino War comes from the manner in which ties are handled. A tie with the dealer puts you in the unfortunate position of either giving up half your original wager or doubling your wager without any potential of a bigger payout.

Assuming a six-deck game with standard rules, the house advantage works out to 2.88% if you go to war every time. Forfeiting every time you tie raises the house advantage to almost 4%. Thus, the proper strategy for Casino War is to go to war every time you tie.

Casino War Betting Strategy

There’s not a whole lot of room for strategy in a game as simple as Casino War. There just two things to keep in mind:

  • Always go to war when you tie
  • Never bet on the tie outcome

As explained above, going to war when you tie is better than forfeiting. You still have a fighting chance of winning when you go to war. Forfeiting gives the house an automatic win and therefore slightly increases the house advantage.

Some Casino War sites offer an optional wager on the tie outcome. You can place this bet before the cards are drawn. If the result is a tie, you are paid something like 10 to 1 on that wager. This bet should always be avoided as the house advantage can exceed 20% depending on the tie payout odds and number of decks in play.